Mormon Musicians
From Brandon Flowers of rock fame to Mormon-run YouTube a capella group GENTRI, the Church boasts an impressive musical portfolio. Here is a glimpse at some of their more successful endeavors.
Kelly Frazier of World Religion News noted in an article how Mormon musicians such as Lindsey Stirling, The Piano Guys and Nathan Pacheco have made waves in classical music circles.
Classical
Gladys Knight, once known as the Empress of Soul, became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1997 and made her way through by founding an all-volunteer choir that brings diversity and culture awareness into traditional Church music.
Numerous prominent musicians were raised within the Mormon religion and some went on long-term mission trips as children. Brandon Flowers from The Killers is an enthusiastic Mormon, noting that Las Vegas itself was founded by Mormon communities.
Lindsey Stirling is one of Utah’s best-known musicians, her YouTube videos garnering millions of views and subscribers. She recently released a new album this year and even finished second place on Dancing With the Stars! Lindsey’s music is both upbeat and inspiring – she shows how having strong will can enable us to do anything we set our mind to in this life!
Rock
Mormon Guitar, run by Ben Howington on YouTube, features beautiful renditions of hymns with guitar. Additionally, tabs and sheet music for his songs make learning them easy – for instance his rendition of If You Could Hie to Kolob has amassed over 59,000 views!
Neon Trees are an exuberant pop-rock band comprised of four Church members known for their technicolor clothing and skinny ties. They have shared the stage with Duran Duran and The Killers during tours, and their songs have reached chart positions worldwide.
Arcade Fire member Win Butler grew up in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the music of Arcade Fire features spiritual themes from this faith tradition. Dallon Weekes from Panic! at the Disco’s bassist Dallon Weekes also studied within this faith tradition and attributes many values he learned within it to shaping his musical style today. Additionally, several famous Mormon singers including Gladys Knight and Brandon Flowers have gone on multi-year missions for various denominations.
Alternative
Although The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints doesn’t provide professional music ministry to its congregations, members can still perform and record. Some Mormon musicians have even found success in alternative music genres.
Dan Reynolds is an esteemed Mormon singer known for being part of Imagine Dragons. This rock group has become increasingly renowned over time due to their signature rock songs and celebrity cameos such as Jon Heder (from Napoleon Dynamite fame) and Studio C (creators of hilarious YouTube videos like Scott Sterling Soccer Shootout).
Tyler Glenn is another popular Mormon singer, best known for playing in punk rock band Neon Trees with their signature bright clothing and danceable music. Furthermore, Glenn found his voice through an album which explored his transition away from religion as a gay person; his story has inspired change throughout Utah.
Jazz
Through the years, Mormons have made many contributions to music over time. One notable example is the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir which is supported by their church both for prestige and to spread faith.
Mormon musicians also contribute to music through YouTube. Many popular YouTube stars who identify as Mormon, such as Lindsey Stirling and David Archuleta, have found success attracting an audience that includes non-members.
Brandon Flowers of the Killers and an outspoken Mormon is just one example; he even made an I’m a Mormon video to share his faith and share it with fans.
Male groups such as GENTRI and Vocal Point have gained prominence on YouTube. Made up of Brigham Young University students, both groups enjoy great acclaim among music lovers – their most recent video featuring Beauty and the Beast songs received over 4 million views!
